


A Great Disguise

by Mandergee



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. Spoilers, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. season 2 spoilers, F/M, SPOILERS BASED ON PREVIEW OF SEASON 2 EPISODE 4, Spoilers for Season 2
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-09
Updated: 2014-10-09
Packaged: 2018-02-20 12:06:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,075
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2428097
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mandergee/pseuds/Mandergee
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>SPOILERS FOR SEASON 2 EPISODE 4.</p>
<p>These days, there are a lot of things Melinda May doesn't want to think about. And things she has no choice but to consider.</p>
<p>But for the moment, she doesn't have to.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Great Disguise

**Author's Note:**

> When I started this it was based on promotional photos for Season 2, Episode 4 of Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.
> 
> If you haven't seen any promo photos, promos of any sort, or sneak peeks, TURN BACK NOW.

“You look beautiful, Agent May.” She'd known Koenig was in on it- he was the only one who often knew all of what went on within the Playground, although she hadn't quite solved the mystery of what _he_ did when they were all in the field. His role in things still had so many unanswered questions surrounding it, and as she bent down to tighten the ankle strap of her silver Manolos May wondered if anyone would ever ask them. “The Director will be down shortly- he asked me to be sure you had everything you needed.”

“I think so.” The mission itself had few parameters needing to be met- other than clothing that Koenig had surprisingly provided and a thin folder of information she'd memorized before she'd gone into her room to get dressed. The years had given her so little need to be anyone other than a field specialist that she'd found herself puzzled for a moment by the shine of opals that dangled from her earlobes and the way her dress had clung to every curve. Skye, she'd imagined, would have oohed and ahhed in chorus with Simmons if they'd been there to witness the transformation, and the pain of loss lingered in her eyes as she glanced in the mirror and wondered again where Jemma had gone. “Coulson has you set up on coms if we need you?”

“Affirmative. And speaking of the Director,” Her eyes trailed after the eager gaze as Koenig glanced up and Coulson stepped out of the shadows, moving down the stairs and reaching to pass him a folder thick with paper. “Here he is. Hello, Sir.”

“Our contact information- we're registering under aliases I've used before, so you're familiar with them. Pablo Jimenez was visiting his cousin in Havana last week, but I think that it's time for him to come home to his wi-” He hadn't seen her yet and she hadn't spoken, waiting by a table with her clutch in hand and feeling the imprint of her compact iCer through the thin fabric. Fitz had begun to work so well with Mack that they'd been able to create things May was ashamed to admit she'd never expected from him on his own, and the partnership had borne new versions of weaponry he and Simmons had never completed. “May.”

“If we're using my last name as our alias, we won't be hard for the government to track down,” She quipped, stepping forward. Coulson's expression was as difficult to read as it had been of late, and she let her focus linger on his deep blue eyes as they sparkled in the light. It was surprise, she realized, that made them shine, and as they did his lips began to curl into a smile. “I hope you're planning on sticking to 'Jimenez'.”

“You look wonderful.”

“You don't look so bad yourself,” His fingers moved in the jacket's right pocket, and May glanced down as he withdrew his hand. “What's that?”  
“The last piece of the disguise.” The tiny box was opened and handed off to Koenig, and she was amazed at how large the ring looked as Coulson grasped it between two fingers, reaching with his free hand and lifting hers into the air. A ring had been something she hadn't worn in so long she couldn't remember what it felt like anymore, with only the faint memories of her husband sliding it onto her finger and reciting his vows before the Justice of the Peace. She didn't know what had happened to that ring, could only recall the last time she'd seen it on her finger as she'd waved at her husband driving off into the sunset....and never coming home.

Phil had always been warm to the touch and she wasn't surprised by the feeling of his skin against hers as he worked the jewelry onto her finger, though she wondered if she imagined the way his fingertips brushed over the back of her hand. Or the way they lingered for a second, almost teasing, until he pulled away.

“It suits you.”

“I didn't realize that diamonds were in the budget.”

“The last time Koenig took inventory he unearthed up a few items we were able to salvage for ops- I had a feeling this one would come in handy.” The history books spoke of men and women who had occupied the base in the decades before Fury's shadow had darkened the doorstep and Koenig had begun to put the mark of S.H.I.E.L.D where S.S.R was still faintly stenciled. Whose ring it was she couldn't have guessed, knew that Peggy Carter had only spoken of Steve Rogers in her journals and the dance they'd never had together, but she'd never spoken of a ring that might have been left behind by anyone else. “Ready to go?”

“Anytime you are, Director.” She hadn't expected the gentle kiss he pressed against her cheek, the warmth of his lips against her skin. He hadn't kissed her in years, and the memory flared up in her mind as his fingers reached up to trace over her jawline. “Phil.”

“Getting into character.” He'd always had the same blue eyes, eyes that showed emotion more clearly than any expression his face. She stared into them now, wondered why she couldn't understand them now. Why she didn't know what he was feeling, or whether those feelings were the same as her own. “Its been a while since we've gone undercover together like this- I just wanted to make sure we were comfortable.”

“Then let me-” She cut herself off by pressing her lips to his, wrapped her hand around his neck to pull him closer as Koenig let out a polite cough and discreetly left the room. Coulson was flushed when she drew back, and she smiled sweetly before reaching for a set of keys on a nearby table. “All right. Let's go.”

Their opportunities in the field were fewer and farther between with the rules she'd set, and as May slid into the drivers seat of the silver Lexus she wondered if she'd ever have the chance to kiss him again. The future was less certain by the day, and if she couldn't know what would come tomorrow she was going to make the most of every second that they had.

Until the time ran out.

And she couldn't think of that now.


End file.
